


Donna's Christmas Story

by nosmokingpistol



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:56:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21890059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nosmokingpistol/pseuds/nosmokingpistol
Summary: A happy and contented Donna Temple-Noble delights her grandchildren at Christmas with their favorite story of how the Metacrisis Tenth Doctor became a member of the family.
Relationships: Donna Noble/Shaun Temple
Comments: 9
Kudos: 12





	Donna's Christmas Story

**Author's Note:**

> “Tell us again, Gran!” Six-year-old Martin plunked himself down onto Donna’s bed and snuggled in. “Please Gran, tell us the story again!”

“Oh, yes Gran, please do!” chirped Martin’s twin Daisy, her mouth full of shortbread. 

Donna laughed and the ache in her bones seemed to disappear as she reached for the faded picture on the bedside table. “Oh all right you two, one more time– but then you’d best hop off to bed if you want Father Christmas to come tonight." And so, with blankets tucked and pillows plumped Donna Temple-Noble began to tell the story of the man in the blue box, and how their gran’s brother John was born on the night the Daleks stole the Earth.

She started at the beginning of course, and as she recounted the adventures of the runaway bride and the Doctor the children listened wide-eyed and transfixed. They were indignant to think of her prepared to marry anyone other than their granddad Shaun and gasped at the thought of their gran battling Sontarans and giant wasps. When Donna related the events of the TARDIS being brought to the Dalek Crucible, the twins were beside themselves with excitement.

“Here comes Uncle John!” Daisy cried, spewing shortbread crumbs everywhere.

“Then you were a twin like us!” Martin whooped. “Only he wasn’t borned from a Mummy like we were, was he?”

“No darling, he wasn’t born, he grew from the Doctor’s hand. And from me! Part Time Lord and…”

“Part human!” they all shouted, and erupted into giggles.

“And then your brain got zapped and had too much Doctor stuff in it and you were gonna die.” Daisy clutched her chest and flopped back on the bed, narrowly missing the headboard.

Martin waved his hand as if he held a magic wand. “And then the Doctor helped Uncle John suck up the spare brain bits and saved you and then you saved all the planets, right Gran?”

Donna laughed heartily at that. “I did have some help you know, love. But yeah… we sent all the planets back where they belonged.”

“Zapped them back, with the magnetron!”

“That’s right Daisy. All but one – the Earth. So the Doctor and the TARDIS and all of our friends flew this old Earth back across the universe!”

“That’s when everybody went home, and the Doctor went off alone. But Uncle John didn’t have a home did he?”

“No, Martin, he didn’t – but Gramps and my Mum soon put that right. In fact, they couldn’t have loved him more because he was part of me and part of the Doctor. ‘The best of both worlds’ my Gramps used to say.” Donna reached for the tin of shortbread and chose a large piece. “Oh, that’s good. Your granddad can still bake like the best of them!“ 

She thought for a moment. “You know, we only met because of your Uncle John. Mum had a New Year’s party to show him off. That’s where this photo was taken! She told everyone John Smith was her nephew come to teach astronomy and physics at Imperial. Her friend Frieda brought her step son, and that was Shaun!” Donna took another bite and sighed. “Thank you Frieda!”

“That’s the same party where Uncle John met Auntie Lulu!” Martin suddenly blushed. “Auntie Lulu was beautiful then. Mum showed us all the old pictures.”

Donna caressed his round, red cheek and smiled. “Oh, she was beautiful, my darling, inside and out.” Lulu Hooper, granddaughter of Wilfred Mott’s friend Minnie, had brought John many years of love and happiness before she passed last year. They had never had children of their own, but had adopted four from the home for special needs children that Shaun and Donna funded from their lottery winnings. Lulu had become like a sister to Donna, and she missed her terribly.

Shaking off the pang of loss she planted a kiss on the top of each ginger-haired head. “Well now, I think that’s enough! Time you two got into bed, it’s already half eight and your Mum will have my skin!”

“Oh, I think they can wait up until Dad and John get home from their snooker party, Mum. Paul just went to get them.” Donna’s daughter Martha Jane joined them on the bed and smiled. “Besides you left out the part about the Doctor’s place at table.”

Martin punched the air. “Yes!” He looked sideways at his mother and bit his lip. “Is it true, though, that sometimes the Doctor comes for Christmas dinner? Have you seen him, really?”

“Yes, I have. The last time was… oh, about six years ago. You two were only a few months old and he was over the moon to meet you. Do you remember what he said, Mum?”

Donna waved the children in close and leaned in with a hint of a smile. “He said that you were both so sweet he could eat you for pudding!”

Daisy’s eyes grew huge. “He wouldn’t! He couldn’t! Unless… is his tummy bigger on the inside?” Martha Jane dissolved into laughter and Daisy rolled her eyes. “Oh, Gran, don’t tease on Christmas Eve.”

Martin and Donna joined in the raucous laughter and a voice rang out from downstairs. “Oi – what’s going on up there and why weren’t we invited?”

“Uncle John!” the children shouted as they leapt from the bed and bolted for the door. “Dad! Granddad!”

“Five minutes and then it’s off to bed with you!” Martha Jane called after them. She shook her head. “They won’t go down until midnight if the men have their way. More stories I’ll warrant.” She took her mother’s hand. “Do you think he’ll come this year?”

“I hope so. It would do John some good, I think, what with Lulu gone. Depends on which one comes, of course.” Donna shuddered. “The one with the big chin is a bit of a trial.”

“Oh, I like him. The one with the grey floof, though. He can be a sour puss.”

“Well, the little ginger one, then. Or the tall one with the man bun and the hipster beard.”

“Mum, I’ve got it – the Doctor with the deep blue eyes and cheekbones that could slice a tomato. Yeah?”

Donna swooned in response, and both women giggled. They sat together for a long while listening to the happy sounds coming from the kitchen, where no doubt hot chocolate (some spiked with whiskey) and mince pies were being enjoyed.

Far off in the corridors of time and space, the Doctor – yes, the blue-eyed one! – was setting his TARDIS towards the home where there was always a place set just for him at Christmas. 


End file.
